The Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden is one of our area’s wonders. A serene respite for visitors and volunteers throughout the year. It features a Seike garden, which might remind you of Ehime Island in Japan. Seating areas are sprinkled throughout the garden – one beside the reflection pond and another next to a recently installed Little Free Library. Learn the history of the rescued gardens that are home here, take in the beauty of the many species, and please join in celebrating it all at our 10th Annual Ice Cream Social.

The Botanical Garden, at 13735 24th Ave South, SeaTac, will be specially open for the public on Sunday, August 21st from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the Ice Cream Social. It is always free to visit the garden, but this event has been historically held as a gift to the garden’s many friends who help maintain this botanical preserve. It’s a time to celebrate our members, welcome our new members, receive funding support while everyone comes together to enjoy the garden as well as the various activities that highlight this day.

There will be a pop-up plant sale as well as a planting class. Board member and expert fuchsia gardener, Frankie Dennison, among others, will help participants plant their very own Fall starters in a crafty way. It’s a chance to learn and take home a free seedling or a start. You can partake in a scavenger hunt and maze yourself around the grounds finding your many caches. Be the first, and win a prize. That’s just another way to view all the treasures the garden holds.

Local Furney’s manager and Board President, Jason Billingsley will give a demonstration on how to create a colorful summer planter for your patio or garden. Ceramic pots will be given to current members and new ones. Door prizes, random prizes, and garden tours will be given by the folks that take care of this darling oasis in SeaTac. As always, free ice cream will be given to the first 200 invitees. Everyone is always welcome sun-up until sun-down every day each year.

“The garden is often described as the center point and heart of SeaTac’s recreational areas. It is maintained through dedicated garden volunteers and is enjoyed by everyone who visits. This year our need is to generate enough memberships and donations to support building a $37K greenhouse to protect many rare botanical species, which we hope to have in hand by 2017. This is one of many projects we are working on to literally grow our garden. We hope to see you this year at the Ice Cream Social to see what a lovely setting this is and to find out about what’s to come for the gardens!”